Combined stage and circus-ring.



PATENTED MAR, 29, 1904. J; J. mamas.

COMBINED STAGE AND GIRGUS RING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 1903.

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No. 755,879. PATBNTED MAR. 29, 1904. J. J. JACOBS. COMBINED STAGE AND CIRCUS RING.

APPLIOATIOI FILED APR. 25. 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented March 29, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

COMBINED STAGE AND CIRCUS-RING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,879, dated March 29, 1904.

Application filed April 25, 1903. Serial No. 154,271. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. J ACOBS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the-county of Cook and State of Illinoisjlhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Stage and Circos-Ring, of which the following, when taken in connection with the drawings accompanying and forming a part hereof, is a full and complete specification, sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to'understand, make, and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements on the stage for play-houses and to improvements in a circus-ring to adapt it to be used also in play-houses.

The object of this invention is to obtain a combined stage and circus-ring, whereby a stage or a circus-ring may be used in and about the giving of exhibitions, as desired; and the particular purpose sought by me is to obtain a stage. and a circus-ring which can be alternately used before an audience.

A further purpose sought is to obtain a stage which can be set, as it is termed in the art, while an-exhibition is being given in the circus-ring; and a further purpose sought is to obtain a combined stage and circus-ring in which the change from one to the other can be made in a way not readily perceived by the audience before which such stage and circusring are being used. I

In the drawings referred to, Figure 1 is a plan view of the stage and the mechanism used for hoisting it from the circus-ring, so that such ring may be used, with the outlines of the circus-ring shown by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the stage and circus-ring, with the stage indicated by broken lines in an elevated position. v

A reference-letter applied to designate a given part is used to indicate such part throughout'both figures of the drawings.

A is a circus-ring, A is an electric chande- Her to the circus-ring, and a is the electric cable by means of which the lights in the chandelier are lighted.

B is the stage, and B represents the gridiron-frameworks above the stage, maintaining the flats in position on the stage.

6 represents the supports to the gridiron B. C is the inclosure for an orchestra.

D D are posts, preferably located at the four corners of the stage, on which posts the stage rests when down and in position for players to appear thereon. The posts D D are attached to the under side of the stage, so as to be raised with the stage.

E E are canvas curtains attached at one end of each thereof to the stage B and at the other end rolled around the spring-rollers F F, respectively, so that as the stage is raised by the hereinafter-described mechanism the canvas curtains will be raised therewith and partially inclose the circus-ring, and as the stage is lowered such curtains will be rolled (automatically) around the spring rollers. The circus-ring is partially inclosed by the canvas curtains when the stage is raised, so the circus-ring can be used for giving an entertainment thereon, and the center pole, hereinafter described, is raised with. the stage, so that a realistic representation of a portion of an ordinary circus tent and ring is given at such time.

G is the drop-curtain of the stage and. circus-ring. Curtain G drops below the level of the stage. and in front thereof. When the stage is raised, it is behind the curtain, and to the audience in front of the curtain the raising of the stage cannot be observed.

H is a front to the stage B, which front may consist of boarding or canvas attached to the posts D D, adjacent thereto underneath the front of the stage.

I I are bases built into the circus-ring A, on which bases the posts D D respectively rest when the stage is down. (See Fig. 1.)

J J are the footlights of the stage B. 3 f K is a scene-curtain, and is is a roller thereor. gridiron B.

L L are flats on the stage B, and L L are flats adjacent to the stage B, but not thereon. Flats L L are raised with the stage B, while flats L L are not raised with such stage.

Roller is rotatably mounted on the I will now describe the mechanism by means of which the stage B is raised and lowered in a manner to insure reasonable safety to the persons on or about such stage.

First, it will be observed that in the construction shown and described considerable space is left between the surface of the circusring A and the under side of the stage B, and any person on the circus-ringA would not be crushed'by the stage coming down.

M M are cables attached to the respective corners of the stage B.

m m are pulleys over which the cables M M extend to the cross-head N of the piston-rod n.

N is the cylinder of piston-rod a.

n is the liquid-supply pipe to the cylinder N, and n is the discharge-pipe therefrom.

a is a valve controlling the admission of liquid through the supply-pipe n to the cylinder N, and a is a valve controlling the discharge of liquid from such cylinder through the discharge-pipe of.

M M are cables attached at one of the ends thereof to the respective corners of the stage B, and m m are counterweights attached to the remaining ends of the several cables M M.

m m Fig. 1, are pulleys, over which pulleys the cables M M extend, respectively.

0 is a vertical cylinder which is firmly embedded in substantially the center of the circus-ring A.

P is a piston-rod longitudinally movable in cylinder 0. The lower end of piston-rod P fits closely in the cylinder 0. and the upper end of the piston-rod is attached to the stage B to raise and lower therewith.

Q is a pipe or conduit provided with a valve 9. Pipe or conduit Q communicates with the vertical pipe 0 near the lower end of such pipe 0. Gaseous or liquid contents of the vertical pipe 0 pass therefrom as the pistonrod P descends through the pipe or conduit Q. The rate of speed at which the stage B ascends and descends is therefore controlled by the valve g. In case of breakage of any of the cables M M or of any of the connecting mechanisms the stage B may be maintained in a raised position by closing the valve q.

The manner of operation of this apparatus is substantially as follows: \Vhen the stage B is downthat is, in the position illustrated by full lines in Fig. 2 of the drawingsthe curtain Gr may be raised to expose to view the stage B. After a performance has been given on the stage Bthe curtain Gr may be dropped into substantially the position thereof illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Liquid may then be admitted through the supplypipe 12. into the cylinder N by opening the valve of, thereby forcing the piston-rod n and the cross-head N in the direction indicated by the arrow adjacent to such pistonrod n in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The stage is raised by the above-described movement of the piston-rod n and cross-head N. As the stage B rises the piston-rod P, together with the canvas curtains E E, are raised thereby, and the circus-ring A is disclosed to view, (upon the raising of the curtain G.) When a performance on the circus-ring is concluded, the curtain Gr may again be dropped and the stage B allowed to descend, (by opening the valve n in discharge-pipe n and valve q in pipe or conduit Q.) To insure a .steady movement to the stage B at all times, I use a liquid in the vertical cylinder 0 underneath the piston-head of the piston-rod P. v

The position of the stage B when in a raised position is indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a combined stage and circus-ring, a stage, means to raise the stage, a circus-ring underneath the stage, a vertical pipe extending downward from about the center of the ring, a vertical piston-rod secured to the under side of the stage, such piston-rod provided with a piston-head in the vertical pipe, and a conduit from the lower end of the vertical pipe, with a valve in such conduit; substantially as described.

2. In a combined stage and circus-ring, a stage, means to raise the stage, a circus-ring underneath the stage, a vertical pipe extending downward from about the center-of the ring, a vertical piston-rod secured to the under side of the stage, such piston-rod provided with a piston-head in the vertical pipe, aconduit from the lower end of the vertical pipe, a valve in such conduit, canvas curtains, secured, respectively, to the sides and back of the stage to extend downward from the stage, and spring-rollers adjacent to the floor of the circus-ring, around which rollers the canvas curtains extend; substantially as described.

3. In a combined stage and circus-ring, a stage, means to raise the stage, a circus-ring underneath the stage, a vertical pipe extending downward from about the center of the ring, a vertical piston-rod secured to the under side of the stage, such piston-rod provided with a piston-head in the vertical pipe, a conduit from the lower end of the vertical pipe, a valve in such conduit, and a curtain arranged relative to the stage to descend in front of the stage nearly to the level of the circus-ring; substantially as described.

4. In a combined stage and circus-ring, a stage, a gridiron above the stage and sup ported thereby, means to raise the stage and gridiron, a circus-ring underneath the stage, a vertical pipe extending downward from about the center of the ring, a vertical pistonabove the ring, means to raise and lower the stage, means to prevent the rapid descent of IO the stage, and a curtain in front of the stage; substantially as described.

JOHN J. JACOBS.

In presence of CHARLES TURNER BROWN, D. E. DEVLIN. 

